


Five alternate realities (AU's) that might have happened, and one reality that most definitely did.

by lornrocks



Category: 50 First Dates (2004), Fandom: Heroes, Inception (2010), Pushing Daisies, The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Tron: Legacy (2010)
Genre: 5+1, 50 first dates - Freeform, AUs, Crack, Established Relationship, Inception - Freeform, M/M, Mentions of marriage, Romance, Slash, Temporary Character Death, Tron - Freeform, crossovers, fiveplusone, more peter whump, nightmarebeforechristmas, petlar, pushing daisies - Freeform, pylar, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-25
Updated: 2013-06-25
Packaged: 2017-12-16 03:49:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/857426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lornrocks/pseuds/lornrocks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Read the title.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five alternate realities (AU's) that might have happened, and one reality that most definitely did.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even know. The AU's are Tron, Pushing Daisies, Fifty First Dates, Inception and Nightmare Before Christmas, ha ha. Good times.

5\. Peter stares at the energy flowing up into the sky and wonders, for the millionth time, what it must be like on the outside. He knows that he shouldn't, that he has a good life where he is, but despite the most recent events of the past few cycles, he can't help but feel this...thing...that makes him feel like maybe he's meant for something greater.

His reverie is interrupted by a gentle touch to his shoulder and he smiles, feeling the energy gently buzzing around him as Gabriel wraps his arms around him.

"Try not to over-process too much," he teases, and Peter shakes his head.

"Gabe," he chastises, gently, but leans into the touch anyway. They continue to stand there, both watching the sky for a moment, until Gabe begins to speak, so softly that Peter has to lean in to hear.

"I know this means so much to you, but...we're not getting off the Grid, Peter. Ever. The outside world...where the Creator is from...it's closed to us now. There's no escaping."

Peter shrugs his shoulders and moves away, crossing his arms in a defensive gesture.

"You can't know that for sure, Gabriel."

"Peter-"

"-No!"

Peter is whirling around so fast that Gabriel actually jumps back in surprise. He has a look of absolute rage on his face, a look that clouds his otherwise smooth features (unless you count the scar across his face, a jagged criss-cross of broken code and glass).

"Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't feel like we're meant for something...greater."

Gabriel's fists clench, and he looks down at the platform they're standing on. Peter lifts an eyebrow.

"Well?" he asks.

"...Sometimes, Peter, sometimes I really do feel like it. But what could we do out there, huh? An anti-virus and a former Trojan don't exactly know how the world works. We've never met a User- I've never even seen one- and we don't know how the Creator came in and out of this world." He pauses for breath, noticing the way his friend is tensed, as if ready to pounce at any moment. "I'm sorry, Peter, but it's not going to happen, not in this cycle or the next. We'd have a better chance of finding another ISO then getting out of here."

They stand there for what seems like far too many millicycles before Peter simply shakes his head and turns away, already making his way down to the lower levels. Gabriel thinks about calling out to him, but doesn't, knowing that the anti-virus needs time. All the same, he'll be watching, and waiting. He saved Peter once, and he'll do it again, even if this time it means saving him from himself.

4\. Peter dying was the worst thing to ever happen to Gabriel. At first, he refused to believe that this man, this wonderful person, was truly gone. Emma and countless others tried to make him see reason, but he wouldn't. He couldn't. So he searched.

He searched for so long that the few people who were talking to him left him alone all together, but he didn't mind. He had his eyes on the one thing that mattered: Bringing Peter back.

Three years after Peter's final breath, Gabriel manages to track down a young boy with the ability to bring the dead back to life with one touch.

"I'd love to give it to you, mister, but you really should know how it works," the boy is saying, and Gabriel huffs in frustration.

"What is the worst thing that can happen?" (It seems living with Peter for as long as he did taught him patience.)

"You only have a minute to touch them again or else someone else must die to take their place."

Gabriel considers this. Sure, he wants Peter back, and he would do pretty much anything to do that, but what would he say when he found out Gabriel let someone potentially innocent die in order to bring him back?

He ultimately decides the risk is worth it and shakes the boy's hand, taking the ability he needs. After that, it's just a matter of digging up the coffin in question and prying open the lid. The sight of the body that was once there but isn't much anymore is disgusting, to be sure, but Gabriel had also taken a healing ability as well. One touch from him, and Peter will not only be breathing again but will resemble a human being as well.

When he touches the few remaining pieces of his friend, several things happen at once. Namely, a bright, white light begins to fill up the space, and he has to jump back and cover his eyes to keep from being blinded. When he opens them again, there's Peter, looking dirty and confused but otherwise whole and alive again.

A minute begins to tick by and Sylar mentally counts it out until at last, the final tick of his watch lets him know that passed. When the minute is up, Gabriel lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Peter is still there, looking at him with a groggy, confused expression, and there were no screams nearby.

"What..." Peter's voice creaks from years of disuse, and he frowns. "What did you just do?"

Gabriel just smiles sadly and reaches into his pocket, pulling on a pair of leather gloves. He reaches out to Peter and the man in question takes the hand offered to him, albeit with confusion.

"I just brought you back to me, Peter, and hopefully, you'll be able to stay with me."

Together they walk out of the graveyard and into the next part of their lives. Despite the fact that Gabriel may never touch him again without losing him, he knows the small sacrifice is worth it in the end.

3\. The Haitian is starting to wonder if maybe he took up sleep walking, judging by the way Noah Bennett, Angela Petrelli, and Sylar are all yelling at him.

"I told you, I did not erase Peter's memory!" he almost shouts, and the three jerk back in surprise. "Apologies. I did not mean to shout."

Noah is the first to break through.

"Are you telling me that Peter just woke up one day and forgot everyone he knows?"

Rene sighs and nods. Angela is fuming so hard that he can see the vein in her forehead throb, and he feels sorry for his long term boss and friend.

"I'm telling all of you, I did not do this. Peter either lost his memory through normal means or someone else erased it. I cannot help you."

Noah and Angela continue to try and argue with him, but what really intrigues Rene is that Sylar is staying so quiet. His eyes are intense, and he obviously wants to say something, but he seems to be biting his tongue.

Finally, finally, the three give up and Noah and Angela disappear to the New Company to find help. Regretfully, they have to leave Sylar in charge of watching Peter, and so, he goes back to their apartment. When he gets in, Peter is starting thoughtfully at his bedroom wall, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. In his hand is what appears to be a picture frame.

He sees Gabriel and smiles, crookedly, and Gabriel can feel his heart breaking all over again.

"Hey," Peter says, and the other man just nods and stands in the doorway, wondering what the proper protocol is for something like this. (He had asked Peter the night before if he was okay with Gabriel staying with him. The younger man had replied that out of all the people he didn't remember, Gabe was the only one he felt safe around. It hurt more than he could name.)

Peter stands up and walks over to Gabriel, holding the picture frame in both his hands. He holds it up so that Gabe can see.

"We were very close, right?"

Gabriel nods, taking the picture frame from Peter. It has a picture of the two of them dressed in their best suits for Peter's cousin's wedding last year, and he smiles slightly at the memory of how tipsy Peter got off the champagne and how he had to practically pry him from the nearby fountain.

Peter points at something in the picture, asking, "Why aren't you wearing your ring?"

Gabriel freezes in place, eyes locked on the picture in question. How could he be so stupid? He had made sure to put his ring away when he found out about Peter, but how could he forget the picture?

Peter takes the frame from him and sets it on the dresses, and then reaches into his pocket. He's holding two gold bands, which he offers to the taller man in front of him.

"I know I'm just going to forget this in the morning, but, I'd- I would like to wear our rings."

When Gabriel doesn't do anything, Peter just picks up his hand and slides the ring on, and then offers his hand up. With shaking hands, Gabriel slides the other ring on to Peter's hand.

"Are we really-?" Peter asks, inspecting the newest addition to his wardrobe, and Gabriel can't help the small flush that spreads across his face.

"Well, not in this country, no. Legal reasons. We got married in Canada last year."

He remembers that they had taken Emma and Hesam up there in an ill-mannered attempt at match making, and had ended up getting hitched instead. It was a good memory.

Peter is still watching him. He leans forward and cups the taller man's face in his own hands.

"Do you think if I kiss you, I might remember?"

Gabriel doesn't have the heart to say no, so he ducks his head down and lets Peter kiss him, knowing that once the other man is asleep, he'll take the rings off again and hide them in a better place, and the whole thing will start over again in the morning.

He's not entirely sure he can stand another morning of being forgotten.

2\. Two levels down, an hour left on the timer, and Peter is restless. Things are too quiet down here, and he wonders how the others are faring in the next level up.

Mentally, he begins to recite the plan mentally in order to reassure himself:

_Mohinder, the chemist, is keeping watch topside while Amanda, our architect keeps watch in the first level. Gabriel, the forger, has convinced the Mark to go under again, using a forgery, so while they sleep our extractor Noah and I (the point man) can find what we need to know-_

His train of thought derails when he hears a loud bang and the earth beneath his shoes begins to shake. Cursing, he grabs the gun out of his shoulder holster and peeks around the corner. Sure enough, the projections are starting to get restless.

He knows that he shouldn't be worried, that little bumps like these happen sometimes, but it's no use. Recent developments in his non-professional life have caused a lapse in judgement and he's ended up becoming involved with their enigmatic and criminal forger.

"Dammit Gabriel," he sighs, and turns around just in time to see the man in question sneaking up behind him.

"Never could pull one over on you, could I?" Gabriel is musing, a smile on his lips. Peter scowls.

"You should be doing your job right now," he turns back towards the corridor in front of him, pleased that the projections inside the fake art gallery seem to have calmed down.

"My job is done. We just have to wait for Noah to get the information and the timer to run out and we are home free."

Peter watches him for a moment, not sure whether or not he should believe him, before nodding once and re-holstering his weapon.

"Now, what should we do to pass the time until the kick?"

Peter's about to suggest something that would be very illegal in a real public setting, when another troubling boom is heard. He barely has time to react and draw his gun again when he hears Gabriel shouting, pushing him out of the way, and then a huge chunk of the ceiling falls. When the dust clears, Peter coughs and searches frantically for the other man, only to have his worst suspicions confirmed- he catches sight of a hand sticking out from the underneath the rubble.

"Gabriel!" he calls, and rushes over. He has just enough to grab the other man's hand and watch as he smiles and blood trickles down his chin and then...nothing. Gabriel's eyes become unfocused.

Peter thinks he might be screaming, but it's hard to hear over the massive amounts of destruction going on around him. He feels a hand on his shoulder, and then there's music, and then he opens his eyes again, and they're topside.

Noah looks unfazed as ever, but Amanda looks like she's about to cry.

"What happened?" Mohinder is asking, looking back and forth, and Peter wastes no time in ripping the line out of his wrist and rushing over the prone form of his friend.

"Gabriel saved me from getting crushed to death," he says, and takes Gabe's hand in his own.

"He'll be stuck in limbo unless someone goes down to get him," Noah observes, and Peter closes his eyes and counts to ten.

"Put me under," he says, and when no one moves, he turns around. "I said _put me under._ "

"Peter," Mohinder is the one speaking now, looking at his colleague like he's lost his mind. "There's no guarantee you can come back from this. You could be stuck forever."

Peter knows this is right. He just fucking _knows_.

"He risked everything to save me. I need to return the favor. I just- I need to. I need _him_. Okay?"

He waits, and at first, no one says anything, until Mohinder draws another line from the PASIV and offers it to Peter. The point man takes it without hesitation, and welcomes the darkness that comes over him, hoping that he'll be able to find what he's looking for.

1\. Gabriel thought he'd be alone in the graveyard. True, he managed to escape the Professor again, but it was only a matter of time before Dr. Suresh found him hiding and dragged him back. No, he didn't want that.

His reverie in the graveyard is interrupted by barking, and he peeps over a gravestone. Muggles, the ghost dog, is floating around happily and yapping, excited about something, and Gabe quickly sees why- Peter Petrelli, the Pumpkin Prince, is walking carefully around the sea of gravestones, a troubled look on his face. Well, as much as he can get when his face is nothing but bone.

Regardless, Gabriel thinks that Peter is the most handsome person around, and the most talented, and wonderful, and- okay, so maybe he was a little _too_ fascinated with the Prince. It was only natural, wasn't it? (He tends to ignore the feeling of belonging he gets on the few occasions he has spoken to the other man.)

He listens carefully as Peter begins to speak to Muggles, and he can't help the feeling of longing springing up in his chest. He knows what Peter is going through, these expectations shoved on him because he's special, these things that are supposedly foretold to happen. He hates it.

When Peter leaves, Gabriel can't help sighing, "Oh Peter. I know exactly how you feel."

Imagine Gabriel's surprise when Peter gets the fantastic idea in his head to start to help the others around them, the forbidden ones- humans. He thinks that if they work together, they can make everyone peaceful and happy again. Somehow, Gabriel really doubts it.

Several weeks later, several horrible accidents and some betrayal by Peter's brother, the Mayor Petrelli, Peter is in trouble. Deep trouble. Gabriel knows he shouldn't risk it, but he finds himself trying to get help from the only person who can help them- Peter's own father, King Arthur. The King, it would seem, wants nothing to do with his sons or anyone else, for that matter. He's too bent on getting into the mortal world and taking over, creating hordes of zombies to bid his quest.

If he's honest, Gabriel finds the whole thing cliche and trite and really sincerely hopes the old bat would shut up already. The ropes are digging into his patched together skin and although he can't really feel it, it is annoying.

He can't help the utter delight he feels when Peter comes bursting into Arthur's lair, a few friends in tow.

"Leave him alone!" he shouts, and the King just laughs and laughs, deep, sinister laughs. "You leave me no choice, Father," Peter promises, and they begin to fight. It takes some time, but the Prince manages to trick his father into becoming entangled in a mess of chains, and with a swift kick to a nearby lever, the chains suddenly arch up, bringing the King's head up- But unfortunately, not his body. The pieces fall back and around, spreading throughout the room.

Gabriel tries not to shake too much when Peter unties him and smiles.

"How did you get down here?"

He tries to think of an answer, he really does, but how can he explain his true motive?

"I was trying to help you," he says, shyly, and Peter cocks his head to one side and then smiles.

"All this time, how could I not see that you were right here-"

His speech gets cut off by the door opening and the others bursting in, clearly pleased with the outcome. They tug Peter away without so much as a second look at Gabriel, and he begrudgingly follows, watching as the Prince is welcomed by the residents of their town as the new King (as both his father and older brother were, for lack of a better word, indisposed).

He hears the cheers and music start up and trudges off to the cemetery, almost pleased when it starts snowing lightly around him. It's a weird thing, to be sure, but rather than explore this new phenomenon with the others, he figures he must be unwanted. Especially by the one person he wishes _would_ want him.

He's standing on a hill, staring out at the moon and fiddling with a dead flower in his hands, when he hears it, and it nearly scares him to death (again).

"I've been looking everywhere for you," a familiar voice says, and Gabriel turns around.

"You have? Why?"

Peter smiles, carefully making his way up the hill to join Gabriel.

"I've been blind for so long. I've been missing something this whole time, and here you've been, right in front of me."

Gabriel takes Peter's hand and lets himself be pulled close.

"If it's okay with you, I'd like to be with you from now until...forever." He reaches a hand up to card through Gabriel's hair. "We're meant to be, you know."

Gabriel lets himself smile for the first time in a long time and nods.

"Yeah, I know."

They kiss in the snow and don't quite hear Muggles barking at them or the townspeople looking for them.

0\. No matter how hard things get, Peter knows he always has a place to return to. He might not be able to escape to fantastical worlds or mysterious places, but he has the one place he needs: His apartment, his cozy bed, his family, and best of all, Gabriel, the sometimes soft spoken, often times incredibly confident man who he never expected to be in his life.

Despite the pain, and the fighting, and all the misunderstandings, Peter understood that once he actually put the effort into getting to know his former rival, the more he'd realize they were almost exactly alike, two pieces of a puzzle fitting together like it was destined. In a way, maybe it was.

Still, he can't help the way that Gabe's arms wrapping around him feels just so much like coming home again, like his silent reassurances and shy smiles are the most beautiful things he's ever experienced.

No matter the day, or time, or even how much time they have together, Peter knows that this right here is all he needs.

When he comes home one particularly gloomy evening to find Gabriel with his glasses crooked, a mug of coffee in one hand and some technical manual in the other, he just can't help the smile across his face and he ends up burying his face into Gabriel's hair and holding him tight.

"Welcome home, Peter," Gabriel says, turning his head so he can press their foreheads together. "Good night?"

"It will be," Peter replies, and for once, he knows he's right.


End file.
